Inside Space (Feb 1st, 2018)

SpaceX says it successfully deployed the GovSat-1 Luxembourg government mission on Wednesday. And — "amazingly," as CEO Elon Musk wrote — one of the company's two-stage Falcon 9 rockets that was meant to test a "very high retrothrust landing in water" survived. Musk said SpaceX did this "so it didn’t hurt the droneship." Three of nine first stage Merlin engines were used; typically one is in operation for touchdown. Rockets do not usually survive impact. Musk said the company would determine how to tow the rocket back to shore. This launch was the sixth time SpaceX used a previously flown booster. — SPACE

A fake "live" video — that racked up 16 million views on Facebook — claiming to show Wednesday's supermoon wasn't taken down until several hours after the scientific phenomenon had ended. The image was overlaid with a timestamp and the sound of wind for an apparent attempt at looking real. The hoax was posted by a Facebook page named "EBUZZ," which has 250,000 followers and only a smattering of posts since November 2016. The stream appeared as the first search result on Facebook when users looked for "supermoon." Facebook said it removed the video for violating the social media company's policies. The company did not say why the page was not taken down. A video view is counted when someone watches for at least three seconds on the social media platform. — CNN

As the space world marked the 60th anniversary of the Explorer 1 satellite launch on Jan. 31, an Alabama woman recalled her role in the historic moment. Joyce Neighbors was the first woman to serve in a technical role on Explorer launch leader Wernher von Braun's team. As a mathematician, Neighbors led a team to discern the satellite's path. This helped to ensure those involved would know the highest point in its arc while in flight — a very important task as that's when the upper-stage engines would need to be ignited. Because of her work, Neighbors was asked to sign a now-historic mission chart. But unlike the men involved in the project, Neighbors was asked to use only her initials and her last name. "They didn't think it would be as authentic if I signed with a woman's name," she said. — THE BIRMINGHAM NEWS

A report released Wednesday analyzes a few days worth of footprints of more than 70 prehistoric creatures found in sandstone near the present day site of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. The study's co-author called the findings the "mother lode of Cretaceous mammal tracks," and added that the "concentration of mammal tracks on this site is orders of magnitude higher than any other site in the world.” The discovery first was made in 2012 by a dinosaur expert who was dropping off his wife at her job at NASA. — NEWSWEEK

New images from NASA's Curiosity Mars show major sites the rover has visited since 2012. The images were taken in October as the rover passed by the Vera Rubin Ridge's northern edge on Mars. Since landing on the Red Planet, the rover has traveled 11 miles — all inside the Gale Crater. Images span about 50 miles, showing areas well beyond the crater. Soon, the Curiosity team will resume the use of the rover's drill in an effort to get powdered rock samples. — EARTHSKY

DId you miss the "Super Blue Blood Moon" that captivated the early morning hours of Jan. 31? Fear not, the internet can help.

And these images aren't the ones your friends posted on Facebook making you wonder if it actually was the moon or just a street lamp.

Several news sites have rounded up images that are out of this world, including Space, BBC and the New York Times.

SpaceX says it successfully deployed the GovSat-1 Luxembourg government mission on Wednesday. And — "amazingly," as CEO Elon Musk wrote — one of the company's two-stage Falcon 9 rockets that was meant to test a "very high retrothrust landing in water" survived. Musk said SpaceX did this "so it didn’t hurt the droneship." Three of nine first stage Merlin engines were used; typically one is in operation for touchdown. Rockets do not usually survive impact. Musk said the company would determine how to tow the rocket back to shore. This launch was the sixth time SpaceX used a previously flown booster. — SPACE

Inside Space

A journey into the depths of outer space and limitless opportunities of space travel